Five reasons why I don't need 'exciting' or gossip.

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash

Each morning I hear, "What exciting things are lined up for today?"

Each night I hear, "So, any gossip?"

Here are five reasons why I didn't need those things during my work day.

1 Exciting in my work context means different things to what's in the asker's brain. In MY brain, exciting means little things: a Year 4 girl telling me I'm her role model; being told a troubled, argumentative student rethought her approach and did the right thing. That's exciting and thrilling for me, and inspiring. 

2 In the asker's brain, exciting means something BIG and  exhilarating like Richie McCaw landing in his helicopter on the field, or snow suddenly dropping from the sky in autumn. Those are big rush moments that are very unlikely in my day and so when they don't happen, it's a let down: "Ooh, so there's nothing exciting happening today/boring!"

3 The dopamine rush of 'exciting' is vastly over-rated. We now live in a world of instant gratification. People have become dopamine junkies - checking their phones every few minutes for the rush of a 'like'. I prefer the long-term small gain rush of working towards the goal. Not so much the realisation of the goal. One of my sons asked me once (in his twenties having ticked off a big goal), "Dad, I've wanted that for so long. What do I do now?"  

4 Gossip fits into the dopamine rush category. Only when I'm genuinely shocked by a piece of news (recently, the sudden resignation of a colleague) do I want to pass it on. Mostly it's just stuff and nonsense.

5 Gossip implies games and secret agendas and a lack of openness. You know that place, where whispering takes place, and the room quietens even more when a boss walks in and people look guilty because they've been gossiping. I don't like that junk.